The Bulls have reached out to the Sixers about a possible trade involving Jahlil Okafor, reports Vince Goodwill of Chicago.com.
Chicago is more interested in a deal than Philadelphia, sources tell Goodwill, and the Sixers may not be enamored with any of the Bulls’ young players. A third team could be needed to complete any trade, as the author states that Chicago hasn’t ruled out a complete rebuild and probably wants to hold on to its draft picks. The Bulls have their own pick this year, along with a top-10 protected choice from the Kings.
Goodwill adds that talks aren’t really heating up yet, but the Bulls definitely would like to acquire the second-year center. They need more low-post scoring with Robin Lopez and Cristiano Felicio currently manning the center spot.
Okafor has been in and out of Philadelphia’s rotation this season as he competes for playing time with Joel Embiid and Nerlens Noel. He has appeared in 34 games so far, averaging 11.4 points and 4.8 rebounds in about 23 minutes per night. Those numbers are way down from 17.5 points and 7.0 rebounds a year ago.
Okafor and Covington and the Sixers/Kings 1st rounder, for Butler and MCW. Works in the ESPN trade machine.
Won’t work in the real trade machine
Lol
Best comment of the day.
Lmao ” won’t work in the real trade machine” made me laugh
Go to bed
Why would the Bulls trade Butler for that? Don’t be a fool.
For okafor (rather have Noel) lakers first rounder this year and they’re first rounder and maybe a second round pick. I think that would be a pretty ok trade. But bulls could get something better for butler and sixers would rather have guys who can develop around Simmons and embiid.
Okafor and two first round picks for Butler is not nearly enough. Attitude issues aside, Butler is one of the top 2 way players in the league and a top 5 player at his position. Okafor barely holds value because he can’t play defense (he’s basically Al Jefferson and Jefferson was never a star player while playing in an era where lumbering bigs was the thing, so Okafor in an era that thrives on outside shooting holds even less value) so you’re really talking two lottery picks for Butler.
Yeah, I’d rather have the lottery picks than Butler who’s a malcontent and can’t shoot. I want zero potential cancers around Simmons and Embiid. You can keep him.
Not a chance.
I’m sure Rondo for Embiid also works in the ESPN trade machine…doesn’t mean it’ll work in real life.
Okafor a Sixers 1st rounder, Stauskas and Holmes for Jimmy Butler.
Are you high?
Okafor, Noel, and the Laker pick for Butler and Grant.
Much more reasonable
That’s just crazy talk on okafor and noel there is no way the Sixer’s give up both of them.
Both players want out, and trading two of there three centers has been the plan from day 1.
As a Sixer fan, I would do that. Not sure Bulls would want two players that have proven that they can’t play together. One could play as a reserve, I suppose. Bulls would be much better off taking a draft pick instead of Noel. Do you know anything about this year’s draft? You can get a much better player than Noel. Right now you would get the fourth pick. That’s a future all star point guard or small forward.
Assuming Embiid and Simmons are off the table, Sixers don’t have enough for Butler unless multiple (more than two) first round picks are attached. Okafor barely has value since he can’t play defense. Noel has even less value because he needs to be resigned at the end of the year. Saric holds no value to Chicago with Mirotic and McDermott still there.
The Bulls are shopping Mirotic. McDermott she be dumped too, but he’s GarPax’s pet, so…
But unless they think that badly of Mirotic (and that Saric is that much of an upgrade) it wouldn’t make sense to ask for Saric. And why so much hate for McDermott? At times he’s one of the best players (behind Butler and Wade) for the Bulls. Granted he should be doing more than just scoring, but its not like he’s shooting at a poor rate. A 44/37/90 shooting line is solid (although his overall field goal percentage could go up a couple of points).
Saric is very highly rated in the Sixers organization. He has a high basketball IQ, mobility, solid D, ability to handle the ball for somebody of his size, can drive to the rim or shoot from the outside. His shooting numbers don’t look good now but with time and consistency his numbers will look much better.
Oh I’m not doubting the Sixers’ opinion of him. I was questioning if the Bulls would even want Saric with Mirotic and McDermott ahead of him (or at the very least, all three of them play essentially the same position with similar skill sets). If Chicago moved one or both of Mirotic and McDermott then I could see the interest, but my point was that unless they really think Saric is that big of an upgrade over both Mirotic and McDermott, it wouldn’t make sense to ask for Saric (say as the headliner or the secondary piece) since all three are essentially the same player.
Bulls wouldnt trade Butler for anyone period right now.
not sure why the Bulls would even bother calling the 6ers over Okafor if they weren’t willing to discuss the kings 1st rnder..
Okafor is soley a screen and roll guy, and doesnt have the wingspan/athleticism to ever be a plus rim protector.
6ers will likely keep Okafor and trade Noel, being that Nerlins is a RFA this offseason and will get a big raise, where as Jhalil is controlled for cheap for 3 more years.
I’d like to keep Doug. He can be a really good scorer to have off the bench or floor spacer in the starting lineup. Trade niko. But Doug can be a really solid role player for us. And has been
Okafor, Lakers pick & Sixers/Kings swap pick for Butler
You can be sure the Celtics are offering far better packages than Okafor and Sixers/Kings and LAL pick (and that’s even holding out the fleeting hope that LAL pick conveys this year)
Give us Philly fans a bag of balls for Okafor
I highly doubt this trade includes Jimmy, the Bulls should be looking to add around him not dump him for a substantially less talented player. Maybe Grant, Dougie and a pick for Okafor. Anything more and it doesn’t make much sense for the Bulls. Ideally Mirotic instead of Dougie but right now I can’t imagine Niko haven’t any value.
Where have you been the past 8-9 years? The Bulls can’t build around anybody. Even ignoring that fact, they have no assets to give up for substantisl upgrades to the current roster. They’re mired in mediocrity… not good enough to contend, not bad enough for help via the draft. Aging vets like Wade and Gasol use temporary in Chicago to transition to contenders. Stop drinking the koolaid already.
temporary stops.
Stop being stingy, yall. The Sixers have plenty of first round picks to give.
Jahlil Okafor
Better of PHI17/LA17
Timothe Luwawu-C
PHI19 (unprotected)
phi20 (unprotected)
[Sixers fans: Assuming we give the Bulls LA17, we’d still have PHI17, PHI18, SAC19, OKC20…]
Would sign off on this in a heartbeat. Not to mention is actually realistic for both parties
But who wants philly’s 2019 and 2020 picks? Forget the rules that prohibit this. With Embiid and Butler, you’re no worse than the 7 or 8 seed in the East. So those are mid-round picks.
As far as the rules that prohibit trading consecutive picks, they can trade any pick as long as they have AT LEAST 1 pick every other year. So if they keep their own 2018 pick, they only need 1 pick in either 2019 or 2020 remaining to have it work. I’m not 100% sure what protections are attached to the Sac 2019 and OKC 2020 pick but if they are unrestricted the above trade would be fine. Now…I wonder if a new rule prohibiting the every other year pick and every other year SWAP (the Brooklyn Nets to Boston robbery) is needed for morons to protect themselves in the #1 market in the US?
Celtics want a star. And Butler is best player available by a mile. He improves their defense and offense in a big way. They need a low-post defender, too. So add Gibson to sweeten the deal.
76ers need a wing player. Celtics would have to give up Crowder or Bradley in any Butler deal. So ship one of them to Philadelphia.
Bulls wants high picks. Boston has two of them. They seem to want Okafor.
There are smaller pieces involved, but a general framework like this works …
Celtics receive Butler and Gibson
76ers receive Crowder or Bradley
Bulls receive Okafor and two Nets picks.
I think this is as fair trade but only if its Bradley, not Crowder.
Crowder or Bradley for Okafor
LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL
Delusional sixers fans
DNP Okafor + Net 17 (good) + Net 18 (probably good but not guaranteed)
Butler is for Sale eheh
First… not a Sixers fan. Second, it isn’t Crowder or Bradley for Okafor.
If I’m Boston, there’s no way I’m offering that deal straight up.
And if I’m Chicago, I’d rather have Bradley or Crowder. But the Bulls seem interested in Okafor. So I’m really just using the facts I’m given.
sixers send Okafor
sixers receive Crowder or Bradley
your second point makes no sense.
If it doesn’t make sense, it’s because you’re not being clear. You seem to be suggesting that this trade is screwing the Celtics…
And I’m saying it isn’t screwing the Celtics because they’re not trading for Okafor. They’re trading for Jimmy Butler and Taj Gibson.
Perhaps you’re saying the Bulls should leave the 76ers out of the deal and keep Bradley or Crowder for themselves. Perhaps they should. But The Celtics would definitely prefer to deal away Bradley since he’s undersized and hits free agency sooner than Crowder. And if you’re the Bulls, trading away Butler means you’re in a total rebuild. There’s no reason you’d want a guy with two years left on his deal. In that case, Bradley for Okafor makes a ton of sense. He’s younger, cheaper, and under control longer.
Umm yes it does. What he’s saying is the Bulls may value Okafor more. So if the celtics essentially send Bradley/crowder 2 nets picks for Butler, Chicago could say they don’t value either more than Okafor. If that’s the case then the Sixers would get Crowder/Bradley for Okafor from the Bulls.
Celtics may not do Crowder/Bradley for Okafor but the Bulls might.
Dear god no. Even though Crowder has been a little less intense this year, he’s super efficient right now and I wouldn’t trade him for anything. Avery Bradley, when healthy, is arguably the best two way player on the Celtics. Neither of those guys should be on the table.
If that was even a possibility, it would have to be centered around Marcus Smart and possibly Kelly Olynyk. Even those two are pretty valuable right now so I don’t see it for that either.
But I think it’s a moot point; no way Okafor is worth a Jimmy Butler.
Who said Okafor was worth Jimmy Butler? The biggest pieces coming back to Chicago would be the Nets picks. The Okafor aspect makes sense if they value him over Crowder or Bradley – since one of those two players would need to go if the Celtics traded for Butler.
Dealing Butler suggests they would value the younger, cheaper player since they’d be in a total rebuild at that point.
As for Bradleys value … you realize that Butler might be the best two way player in the league, right? He’s a DPOY candidate averaging 25 ppg. He brings better defense, better offense, and more size than Bradley. It’d be a monster upgrade – even if Bradley is healthy.
Why are the Sixers involved in this trade scenario. So the Bulls can get Okafor instead of Crowder or Bradley? That’s not an improvement. If the Sixers throw in some picks, maybe, but otherwise just cut them out of this and trade Bradley + 2 Nets picks straight for Butler
Trading butler signals a rebuild. Bradley is a FA in two years. Bulls would prolly flip him. And since they seem to have interest in Okafor, I added them to the deal
It’d be the biggest mistake to trade Butler. Any trade you can think of would be an awful trade unless it netted the Bulls Cousins which isn’t going to happen. Be smart and don’t over pay for a offensive minded big man.
Getting a Top 5 pick in 2017 & 2018 (Nets pick) AND the Bulls losing a bunch so their OWN 2017 is Top 7 AND raising the odds (because they now are bottom 10 themselves) that the Sacramento pick falls OUTSIDE Top 10 (so the Bulls get it for the Deng trade, opposed to it cancelling out completely) gives the Bulls a chance at 5 Top 10 picks in 2 loaded drafts. That, plus a former #2 pick from the Chicago area under a rookie contract, would be better than keeping Butler and being IN BASKETBALL HELL! They are 5 years away NO MATTER WHAT based on their terrible past 3 drafts (not an NBA starter from any of those drafts). Butler isn’t LeBron type good, he’s 2nd tier. With the new CBA, the drafting team gets a MUCH bigger advantage when it comes to resigning SUPERSTARS and that isn’t tradeable anymore. So, they need to get 2 of those 5 picks right to have a chance. Imagine 2003, having 2 of the Top 5 picks (and maybe a chance to trade up for another). That’s the Miami Big 3 (or Carmelo). That’s the smarter play. They are a .500 team with ZERO HISTORY of an “In-their-Prime” Free Agent signing. Teams like Golden State and Cleveland aren’t going anywhere for 5 years or so so WHY TRY TO BUILD AROUND BUTLER?
I’d be stunned if the Celtics give up both Nets picks, and either Bradley or Crowder, for Jimmy Butler. One of the Nets picks sure, but not both.
It’s definitely a lot. But they’d fill two huge holes and make themselves EC favorites immediately.
And as high as those Nets picks should be, they’re no sure thing. This year does look awesome, but the top two players play the same position as he Celtics best player .. and next draft is mostly unknown. I’d take the certainty now.
Butler isnt available.
Rondo is the one leaving
Not sure why Jimmy Butler is even being mentioned here. Looks like the Bulls are trying to add some offense for a stretch run. Some reasonable combination of bloated expiring contract dumps, young talent, draft picks would exceed expectations for Okafor at this point. Maybe dump Rondo (who Sixers then cut), Valentine or McDermott, lottery-protected pick?
Stretch run? You mean NBA purgatory, battling for an eight seed and out of the lottery? Chicago fans need to embrace “the process” and trade any assets you have for young players and picks.
Whether I agree with you or not (which I do) is irrelevant. Under the current management, the Bulls have not embraced a rebuild. See: Wade, Dwyane; Rondo, Rajon. It sure doesn’t feel like Chicago is in tear-down mode with the playoffs in reach, even though it should be.
Oh I agree, wonder if they get smoked on this tough road trip will reality set in.
People definitely need to stop with the Butler/6ers talk.he makes as much sense with Simmons and Embiid as he does with Wade and Rondo.
And if Chicago dont wanna give up a draft pick,any deal will come down to a 3rd team.talk about Okafors value being hurt all ya want,but we got Ilyasova and a pick for Jerami Grant,and Okafor has more value then him no matter how you wanna spin it.17 & 8 as a rookie while splitting time at c with Noel,without any threat at the guard positions.hes gonna be a problem down low when he goes somewhere with legit starting guards.
Sixers need to unload both Noel and Okafor. Noel will cost too much and Okafor a liability on def. Back up center is Holmes or a veteran. Easy to find. Go after McDermott and Grant.
Philadelphia will never trade for a player like Butler. The reality is they prefer losing to score lottery picks year after year. They love being the center of attention in that aspect. S starting 5 with Butler, Simmons and Embiid would effectively end this lottery pick era. That’s why the NBA needs to revamp its draft system.
And for the love of god, please add an edit feature to the discussion forum.
Hinkie is gone,so the days of collecting lottery picks are almost over for us.
And you’re right,we dont want a Butler.so far Colangelo has brought in Ilyasova,Henderson,Bayless and Rodriguez.we want guys who can spot up and shoot,not guys who dribble and drive.plus we value character.
And be careful what you wish for with the lottery system.like i said,our days there are coming to an end.we have a tight group developing. Yous are battling to see which team out of Cleveland,Toronto and Boston gets to smack yas around and out of the playoffs in round 1.
#1-Jimmy Butler to Philly for Jahlil Okafor, LAL ’17 1st round pick, 76ers 2017 1st round pick
They aren’t trading Jimmy Butler. Maybe to the Celtics for picks. Okafor > entire bulls roster outside of Butler & Wade. Nothing worth trading for.